2013 - Essex and 50th Rendezvous.
June 6th: Went for sail in Niantic Bay. The new railroad bridge has been completed, replacing the old 1907 King bridge.
It was a great day to test the new roller-furling jib and also the new boom vang setup - both worked flawlessly.
I even saw an interesting rainbow-effect in the sky as I was headed around Millstone to Jordan Cove!
Once in Jordan Cove, I hooked onto a mooring, put up the awning, and relaxed for a bit.
I knew the cockpit table would come in handy!
After a few hours, I headed back home. Boy, it sure is nice to have ORION in the water again.
June 28th: Sailed for an overnight trip to Essex with my friend Jay Sullivan. It was a great day with ideal winds allowing us to sail there on one tack.
We were wing-on-wing heading up the Connecticut River, and Old Lyme Draw opened just in time - the second after I took down the whisker pole.
We sailed past the Old Lyme Marina where many beautiful boats were moored in front of many beautiful houses.
We got a mooring at Brewer's in Essex, and as Jay went home I enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the cockpit of ORION.
The sun tried to come through the next morning, but rain clouds in the vicinity for a few more hours kept bringing some showers.
My father met me in Essex to sail home with me, and we explored some marshes on the way. It was a great trip - check out the full online album.
August 9th: The biggest sailing event of the year happened this weekend for the O'Day Mariner 50th Anniversary Rendezvous from Niantic to Mystic Seaport.
A whopping 18 boats took part over the course of the weekend, and it was a fantastic sight to see so many non-racing Mariners together!
Despite an incredibly rough journey on Friday, Saturday had bright sunshine. Many visitors stopped by our boats check them out and chat a while.
It was, simply put, the best sailing experience of my life. Be sure to check out all the other pictures at the online web album.
October 9th: I sailed over to nearby McCook's park and anchored nearby, enjoying a good lunch and the beautiful scenery.
There are a surprising number of boats still in their slips at the Niantic Bay Yacht Club. Sailors are wanting to extend their season as long as possible.
Even the presence of a large outboard motor does not detract from the great lines of this catboat moored off of my parents' house.
Back on the hook. I snuck in a couple more sails before ORION came out of the water November 5th. It was a great season!